On Christmas Eve in 1617, a terrible storm broke out in the sea off the remote Norwegian island of Vardo. Maren Magnusdatter stands and watches as the waves swallow forty fishermen, including her father and brother. The men of the village disappear in an instant – Vardo is now a place of women.

Eighteen months later, a threatening figure arrives in the village. Absalom Cornet has come from Scotland to tame a wild place, at the edge of the civilized world, and he knows what must be done to subjugate the women of Vardo. Accompanying him is his young wife, Ursa. In Vardo, and in the face of Maren, Ursa finds something she has never seen before – independent women. However, Absalom sees nothing but a place overflowing with insurmountable evil, which he must eradicate at all costs...

The Witches of Vardo, inspired by the true events of the storm at Vardo and the witch trials that took place on the island, is a novel about how suspicion erodes a community to its core and how love can prove dangerous yet immensely powerful.

“It took my breath away.” TRACY CHEVALIER

“Absolutely devastating.” LOUISE O’NEILL

“It transports us to a place that enchants and emits smoke and terrifies, a place where women’s hearts thunder louder than the storm… A remarkable talent.” SAMANTHA SHANNON

“Gripping, heartbreaking.” AJ PEARCE

“I was enraged, I laughed, I cried. I highly recommend this novel; I urge you to read it.” ELIZABETH MACNEAL

“A talent that sweeps you into its whirlpool, like the storm.” DAISY JOHNSON